Busy Busy Busy

Oh dear there's been a dearth of blogging time this week. Renovations are making three steps forward and two backwards and are at present at a standstill. Normal service will resume ASAP with pictures!!!
On the plus side the weathers wonderful and the Lido's open. A lovely cold swim in the morning certainly wakes one up.

Bank Holiday Sun

Day two of the Bank Holiday weekend and its been another day of non stop sunshine, clear blue skies and warm weather. It's nice to sit in the warm sunshine and not be chilled by cold winds.

Yesterday I had no energy and a mild headache all day. Consequently I didn't achieve much at all. D did all the niggling jobs about the garden like cutting and edging the the lawn. Its now looking neat and tidy once more.

The roses are doing well this year. This one will soon be in flower. The few marauding greenfly are being nipped in the bud so to speak. The 'Breath of Life' Rose in the front garden isn't doing as well health wise but has a beautiful peach coloured flower in full bloom.

I read and snoozed for most of the day. Except during the afternoon when No 1 son and D in law with No 1 Grandson and his daughter No1 great grand daughter arrived. No 2 grand son arrived on his bike. Poor lad there's no room in the car for him!

Just felt too tired to bother to go out for a meal so I quickly wiped up a stir fry of chicken rice and vegetables. One cooking pot and two plates easy!

Sunday I woke feeling much more refreshed and energetic. We've tackled a few jobs in the kitchen that needed sorting before D comes back on Tuesday. Hopefully the kitchen should be practically completed and back in use by next weekend.

The few strawberry plants I have in the garden are really doing well this year. They are looking very healthy and are in prolific flower mode. Maybe we'll have a few crops from them this year instead of just eating them as they ripen. Can't wait for the fruit season to begin. I found a recipe for Bumbleberry jam today. What an intriguing name! I hope I remember to keep the recipe so I can make some when the berries are in full swing.

The Make Over Begins in Ernest

Today begins extremely noisily as D starts drilling to get a hole through the metal girder for the extraction fan. I haven't had a good start to today so I retire to my bed with ear plugs firmly inserted in my ears. A couple of hours later the drilling over and I'm feeling much better as well. J hasn't arrived yet as he's helping a mate for a couple of hours so D gets on with installing the hob. It's an induction hob, quite common in Europe but haven't yet become as popular in Britain. It's much more economical and it's fast. Faster than a gas hob to cook with. I now need to invest in some new saucepans to cook on it with.

When J arrives he hangs all the doors and boxes in the pipes in the corner. Slowly the new kitchen is emerging. D needs to go home tonight and sets of for the long trip home to Yorkshire. He has commitments over this Bank Holiday weekend so he won't be back to finish up until Tuesday. So its a long weekend camping for us I hope the calor gas bottle lasts out!

Chaos Rules Today

There's chaos and disorder every where today the house is in such a mess. Dust has seeped everywhere. Cardboard plastic and polystyrene is threatening to take over. Some serious organisation has to take place. Enter Handyman D when he came home from work. He collected it sorted it and packed it ready for collection tomorrow. Today the cabinets have all been secured in their places. Draws and shelves are positioned. The blue colour is just the protective covering plastic.

The ovens were manhandled, with some difficulty, into their cabinets. Oh dear, I've a problem though, I think I've made a serious mistake with their position. I really thought I had reasoned out in my mind where I wanted them and what was best for me but now they're in I discovered a flaw in my thinking. Now I've a dilemma, do I confess and ask for them to be moved around or do I live with it? I think I'd better sleep on that problem and look afresh tomorrow!

D and J also discovered that despite my careful measuring and calculations I have made a error with one calculation. A cabinet that was supposed to be positioned over the fridge won't fit. Panic. Suggestions flew around but D finalled solved the problem. J and D set to and reduced the width of the cupboard to half. Fits a treat now.

The cooker hoods causing a problem as D's hit the metal lintel in the wall. He has to solve that tomorrow. There's still lots to do and one more day as D has to go home to Yorkshire tomorrow.

On a different note

It's number one sons birthday today.

His mmmm ....4th

Happy Birthday Sean

Things are getting better; only just though.

The base units are partially built and installed, whoopee do, we're on the home straight. Still a long ways to go though. D & D spent last night assembling all the draws and collecting all the cardboard packaging ready for disposal.

J & D are working well together, like old team mates.

I thought the worst was over when the cabinets began to go back in. I thought wrong. You wouldn't believe how much sawdust comes away when the work top is cut for the sink and hob. It's a delicate tricky job getting the holes just right and supporting the heavy top at the weak parts when the holes are knocked out.

Temporary cooking arrangements.The novelty of the camp kitchen is wearing thin though. My camping days are definitely over! although I must admit I russelled up a tasty chicken casserole with mashed potato and peas last night. I think it's the trek around the workers through to the lounge every time I need something from the fridge. I'm giving in tonight and informed the workers it's a fish and chip night.

It has to get worse before it gets better

There's a saying that 'things have to get worse before they can get better'.

.............every things going..........

............. even the kitchen sink...........

.............. we're getting there..............
and the wreckage sits fornly in the garden awaiting disposal
At least the weathers being kind to us at the present time. Sunny but not too warm. I'm getting use to my 'camping field kitchen' set up in my studio. Actually it's not so bad I have my microwave combination oven and a calor gas camp cooker to work with and a sink in the garage to wash pots. Things were worse in the blitz!

"There's Nothing New Under the Sun"

"It's high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your Country for a mess of pottage,and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
Is there a single virtue now remaing amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; Gold is your God; which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes?
Is there a man among you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turned the, Lord's temple into a den of thieves by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grivances redress'd, are yourself gone!
So! Take away that shining bauble there. and lock up the door. In the name of God, go! "
Oliver Cromwell,

Dissolving Parliment in 1653.

********************

So is there anything new under the sun? Does anything ever change?

*******************

Is it time for our Monach to ask Gordon Brown to dissolve our present Parliment? Then maybe we can weed out the 'mercenary wretches' and move on?

Ok so It's not all Bad

When one hasn't a kitchen to cook in there's only one thing to do..........

..............go out for a meal.................

..........down by the river............

There has to be some compensation!

The lamb and feta meatballs on a bed of wild rice really was delicious
and so was the Sicilian lemon tart with fresh fruits and double cream.

Wrecking Saturday

If anyone decides my kitchen needs renovating

...........ever again.........

I'LL DIVORCE HIM!!!

Where did that week go?

Well, yet another week has past since the last blog. I swear these weeks get shorter! The kitchen goodies continue to arrive, to be stored in the conservatory. Wednesday night saw us speeding down the A1 towards Milton Keyens. Ikea had actually got the oven I needed, back in store and with new specifications. You wouldn't believe how much I managed to spend in just one hour. Oh well it's all in a good cause! Hopefully. So, next Saturday the new cookers, yes thats right, two, an oven and a combination microwave, the extractor hood, the induction hob and the dishwasher arrive. I'm not sure where we will put them as the space in the conservatory is already reduced to standing room only. I'm now beginning to sort through the kitchen cupboards to reduce the rubbish in them and find alternate storage for things ready for the big rip out next week end. The washing machine is being moved and re plumbed in its new space today. I have a week to decide whether on not to buy a sparkling new sink or keep the sad old one and I need to research a new waste disposal. How many electrical sockets do we need? Can't decide on splash backs. Do we tile or paint walls? What colour do I paint the walls? With white units and a nearly black work tops I think cerise pink might add a brilliant splash of colour. OK only kidding. Oh help. It's all decisions! The bathroom well, what can I say........... After a lengthy session at a City plumbing firm I came away with my design trashed once more and an estimate for a new design. It involves much more work and a little rebuilding. Once home I began to have doubts. Himself certainly did. So, we trashed the designers designs and went back to my designs with a little refinement. Back to the Bathroom firm to get revise estimates and then on to another firm to see how their estimated would come out. Of course the new firm tried to change my plans but I held firm. Undoubtedly sometime in the next decade we will need to think seriously about moving to a bungalow so if people buying our house want a bath it can be changed back easily with my design. With all these discussions and setbacks the bathroom will probably now have to wait a little while before we can get started. Not too long as Micks already been in and ripped the wallpaper off.

Reversing the Setback

After another lengthy session with pencil, paper and a whole heap of glossy brochures I think I've managed to nailed the bathroom, no, the shower room design down once more. I also had to have quite a long session with my friendly plumber. I'm still not too sure about which pipe should go where but at least the design should now work. Unfortunately it's going to be more complicated now and will involved allot more plumbing work.

On Tuesday I'm due to meet up with Friend Plumber at the Bathroom showroom to discuss with the Manager the needs and costs of implementing the design. I suspect the budget is blown and probably doubled!

Progress on this has been so slow and complicated I can't wait for it all to be finished now. (or even started) I just hope it's all worth it and it looks how I imagine it!

The Poet Laureate

Britain has selected the first woman to be the Poet Laureate

Poet Laureate - in Britain, the term, has for centuries been the title of the official poet of the Monarch, since the time of Charles 11. The appointment use to be a lifetime post but is now a 10 year term. The candidate is officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for State occasions and other government events.
Carol Ann Duffy, a Glaswegian was selected to a 10-year term as the official royal poet, she follows a long line of illustrious literary names. Her predecesor was Andrew Motion who followed Ted Hughed. Duffy an acclaimed Scottish poet with an eclectic range and a flair for satire and humor, is also the first openly gay poet to hold the post.

Talent

by Carol Ann Duffy

This is the word tightrope.

Now imagine a man,

inching across it in the space between our thoughts.

He holds our breath.

There is no word net.

You want him to fall, don't you?

I guessed as much; he teeters but succeeds.

The word applause is written all over him.

A Parcel Arrives on May Day

A neat little parcel from Canada, turned up in this mornings post.

On his homecoming from the workplace 'Himself' lost no time in opening it.

He loved it and couldnt wait to model it in front of said garage.

The only problem is ..........Nothing ever happens in the garage

It can't!

There's NO ROOM!